Jan 15
Gangster film essentials
A very interesting film genre is that of gangster films. Born in the 1920, 1930, time of the Great Depression, alcohol prohibition (and alcohol smuggling) and in between two World Wars, the narratives of the time explored the realms of twilight, analyzed gangster and mobsters (as evil twins of the capitalist) and gave rise to a number of later on classic film archetypes, like the supervillain. The classic ingredients, the Tommy Gun, the bad guy cigar and stylish clothing, tuxedo and hat, simply taken from the shelf of that time, were forged to primary signifiers of the gangster throughout the film noir era around the 1940s and are the classic attributes to this very day.
The classic gangster film canon
- The Musketeers of Pig Alley (1912) (imdb, wikipedia, buy)
- Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler (1922) (imdb, wikipedia, buy)
- Underworld (1927) (imdb, wikipedia)
- Little Caesar (1930/31) (imdb, wikipedia, buy)
- The Public Enemy (1932) (imdb, wikipedia, buy)
- Scarface (1932) (imdb, wikipedia, buy)
- The Beast of the City (1932) (imdb, wikipedia)
- Bonnie and Clyde (1967) (imdb, wikipedia)
- The Godfather (1972) (imdb, wikipedia, buy)
- The Godfather, Part II (1974) (imdb, wikipedia, buy)
- The Godfather, Part III (1990) (imdb, wikipedia, buy)
- The Goodfellas (1990) (imdb, wikipedia, buy)
- Scarface (1983) (imdb, wikipedia, buy)
- Casino (1995) (imdb, wikipedia, buy)
Related Films and Television Shows
- Mickey Blue Eyes (1999) (imdb, wikipedia), buy)
- Gloria (1980) (imdb, wikipedia)
- Analyze This (1999) (imdb)
- Analyze That (2002) (imdb)
- Reservoir Dogs (1992) (imdb, wikipedia, buy)
- The Usual Suspects (1994) (imdb)
- The Simpsons, Season 6 Episode 15 (S6E15) “Homie The Clown” (1995) (tvdv, imdb,wikipedia), has some mobster elements (pictured left)
- The Simpsons, Season 6 Episode 24 (
S6E24) “Lemon of Troy”, Bart’s friend Milhouse speaks the famous last words from Little Caesar (1930) “Is this the end of Milhouse?” (imdb) - The Sopranos“ (1999-2007) (imdb)
- Dick Tracy
- Michael Jackson, “Smooth Criminal” music video (clipland, wikipedia)
- Gangs of New York
- Sexy Beast
Books
- Gangster Film Reader
- Gangster Films
- Tony Soprano’s America: The Criminal Side Of The American Dream
- more on amazon
Papers
- Warshow, Robert: The Gangster as Tragic Hero.In: Ders: The Immediate Experience, New York 1962. (buy)
- Walker, Helen Louise: Hunting For A Hero. Motion Picture Magazine. July 1931. In: Violence and American Cinema. (buy)
